Aviation educators who earned the “Master” title during May are:
Robert George “Bob” WILSON V, Master CFI
Pembroke Pines FL
E-mail: RGWV@RGWV.com
Robert G Wilson, a 1st-time Master and SAFE member, recently earned his Master CFI accreditation.
Bob is a professional aviation educator specializing in recurrent and transition flight training in the Fort Lauderdale area.
He also serves as check pilot examiner for the Florida Wing of the Civil Air Patrol as well as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Miami FSDO area. (Photo: MCFI Bob Wilson of Pembroke Pines, FL)
Orlando Raimundo VILLAVERDE, Master CFI
Miami FL
E-mail: SkyKingVillage@aol.com
Orlando R Villaverde, a 5-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.
Orlando is an airplane and helicopter flight instructor at Kendall-Tamiami Airport (TMB).
He is also a professor of aviation at the Miami Dade College School of Aviation and serves as an FAASTeam representative in the Miami FSDO area. (Photo: MCFI Orlando Villaverde of Miami, FL)
Scott Ryan STAHL, Master CFI
Lake Havasu City AZ
E-mail: StahlS@ERAU.edu
Scott Stahl, a 1st-time Master and SAFE member, recently earned his Master CFI accreditation.
Scott is as a ground and flight instructor with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at Prescott’s Love Field (PRC).
He is responsible for the safe conduct of the university’s upset recovery training as well as the evaluation of pilot certification candidates. (Photo: MCFI Scott Stahl of Lake Havasu City, AZ)
Karl August SCHLIMM, Master CFI-Aerobatic
Chandler AZ
E-mail: Karl.Schlimm@APSTraining.com
Karl A Schlimm, a 1st-time Master and a member of IAC as well as SAFE, recently earned his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation.
A US Air Force veteran and instructor pilot, Karl is the newly named Director of Operations with Aviation Performance Solutions at Mesa’s Gateway Airport (IWA).
He specializes in upset recovery, spin, and aerobatic training. (Photo: MCFI-A Karl Schlimm of Chandler, AZ)
Brandon Joel RAY, Master CFI
Richmond TX
E-mail: Brandon@FlyHPA.com
Brandon J Ray, a 3-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.
Brandon is an instructor and owner of High Performance Aviation specializing in high performance transition training at Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR).
A captain with Western Airways, he also serves as a a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Houston FSDO area. (Photo: MCFI Brandon Ray of Richmond, TX)
Tyler Mehernosh KHAN, CFI-Aerobatic
Munroe Falls OH
E-mail: LedZep152@gmail.com
Tyler Khan, a 2-time CFI-Aerobatic and a member of IAC as well as SAFE, recently renewed his accreditation as a CFI-Aerobatic.
This is the final step to Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation.
Tyler is a flight instructor and check instructor at Kent State University Airport specializing in basic aerobatic training along with stall / spin avoidance and recovery procedures. (Photo: CFI-A Tyler Khan of Munroe Falls, OH)
Thomas Lawrence “Tom” KARCZ, Master CFI
Salina KS
E-mail: TKarcz@Sal.KSU.edu
Thomas L Karcz, a 2-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.
Tom is an assistant chief flight instructor and an assistant professor in Kansas State University’s aviation department at Salina Municipal Airport (SLN).
He specializes progress checks as well as CFI and multiengine training. (Photo: MCFI Tom Karcz of Salina, KS)
Sunny JONES, Master CFI
West Jordan UT
E-mail: SJones@WestminsterCollege.edu
Sunny Jones, a 1st-time Master and SAFE member, recently earned her Master CFI accreditation.
Sunny is an assistant chief flight instructor and a ground instructor with Westminster College at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).
A former SkyWest Airlines pilot, she is also the leader of Westminister’s private pilot Foundations of Flight course. (Photo: MCFI Sunny Jones of West Jordan, UT)
Joe Edward BIRKINBINE, Master CFI
Steamboat Springs CO
E-mail: ATPFinancial@SpringSips.com
Joe Birkinbine, a 2-time Master and a SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.
Joe serves as an area representative for the Colorado Pilots Association.
He also operates Steamboat Flight Academy where he specializes in mountain and technically advanced aircraft (TAA) training at Steamboat Springs Airport (SBS). (Photo: MCFI Joe Birkinbine of Steamboat, CO)
Master Instructors LLC and its Board of Review take pride in announcing a significant aviation accomplishment on the part of these very special aviation educators. Recently, they were all accredited as Masters by Master Instructors LLC, the international Master Instructor accrediting authority (US Copyright Office registration number TX0006987479).
To help put this achievement in its proper perspective, there are approximately 97,000 CFIs in the United States. Fewer than 800 of them have earned Master accreditation thus far. As a measure of the prestige conferred by this title, the last 18 National Flight Instructors of the Year or FAASTeam Representatives of the Year were Master CFIs (see: http://www.GeneralAviationAwards.org/). In addition, the FAA has approved the accreditation as an alternate means for CFIs to renew their flight instructor certificates.
The Master Instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA and industry that is earned by a candidate through a rigorous process of continuing professional activity and peer review. Much like a flight instructor’s certificate, it must be renewed biennially. This process parallels continuing education regimens used by other professionals to enhance their knowledge base while increasing their professionalism. Simply put, the Master Instructor designation is a means by which to identify those outstanding aviation educators, those “Teachers of Flight,” who are demonstrating an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth, and service to the aviation community.
Through their dedication to excellence, Masters have earned their “black belts” in aviation education. They truly represent the crème de la crème of the aviation industry! High and low resolution photos are available upon request.
Questions regarding the Master Instructor Programä may be directed to 303-485-8136 or MasterInstrs@aol.com For more information about the Master Instructor Programä and to locate other Masters, please visit the “Find a Master Instructor” section of www.MasterInstructors.org To learn more about the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), visit http://SafePilots.org/ The International Aerobatic Club (IAC) can be reached through their website at http://IAC.org/